Why Is There Evil, Suffering, And Pain? Pt. 2
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Main Question for Today
Why is there Evil, Suffering, and Pain in our world?
How do we respond to evil?
Moral and Natural Evil
Recall from last week the differences between Moral and Natural evils.
Moral evils are those that humanity does to one another or are a direct result of human actions.
Natural evils are those that humanity does not directly cause such as natural disasters and sickness.
With these two evils in mind, can Justice be done?
What do we base our understanding of Justice?
Scott draws some connections between good and evil
Evil--> Good --> Standard/law --> Law Giver (God)
By this, Scott means that:
If evil exists, then there must be a scale of what is good and what is bad. Since Evil is bad, then good must stand as the antithesis of evil.
If there is good, then there must be a standard or a plum line used to determine the difference between good and evil.
If there is a standard or a law of good and evil, there must be someone/thing that has established the distinction between good and Evil.
As Christians, we call this Law Giver, God. God is the one who determines what is good and evil and sets the bounds of both.
Consider this...
Can evil and suffering benefit us in any way?
Think about the dentist... is dentistry evil? Of course not! Dentistry serves to correct the sickness and decay of our teeth.
Even though getting a cavity filled hurts and causes us pain, dentistry is not inherently evil.
What about exercise? Even though exercising hurts our muscles and lungs, that pain does not make exercise evil. In fact, exercising is a good thing, even though it causes us pain and some level of suffering.
How does God influence our understanding of the role/function of pain?
Why does God choose to do some things but not others? Does this have anything to do with our own choices and free will? Why or why not?
Read James 1:2-3
Can God understand and relate to humanity's pain? How so?
Why would God become a human and endure suffering? Why is this important for our relationship with Him?
Read 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
What does this passage say about how we should respond to evil, suffering, and pain?
Take Away
As you go throughout this week, ask God to show you how important our freedom of choice impacts our relationship with Him.
Take the time to consider how important our free will is and how this impacts the pain and suffering we inflict upon others.
How does this change your understanding of evil, suffering, and pain?